Misericordes in Ludlow Church.
THE following details of sundry carvings on the misericordes still remaining in the choir of the collegiate church of St. Lawrence at Ludlow, in Shropshire, may interest such of our readers as are students of church architecture:—
North Side. (Read from West to East.)
1. A (left) and B (right), a rose. C (centre), four roses.
2. A and B, a padlock (or stirrup?). C, an eagle with two cords entwined behind.
3. A and B, floriated ornament. C, an angel holding a trumpet.
4. A and B, floriated ornament. C, king’s head, whiskers and beard flowing.
5. A and B, an animal holding a band in its mouth. C, a stag kneeling, a band behind it.
6. A, two figures opposite each other; the left one has pointed shoes, the right one has his right arm raised as if to strike the other figure, and an animal is arising from under him. B, a floriated ornament. C, a mitred bishop in a pulpit preaching to birds; the bishop has a donkey’s face.
7. A and B, three feathers. C, the same, larger.
8. A and B, mitres on many-pointed stars. C, mitred bishop’s head, labels flying.
9. A and B, a face, from whose mouth two oak sprigs, right and left, issue. C, a stag, with a crowned collar round its neck attached to a chain, sitting on its haunches biting a band or flat snake.
10. A, a pot with two handles, on a fire. B, floriated ornament. C, two figures fighting; a third figure on the right is trying to hold one of the other figures; the left figure is sitting on the ground, as if knocked down; his head is broken off.
11. A and B, a fish with its tail in its mouth. C, a mermaid holding a circular mirror in its right hand, looking at it; the left hand four fingers broken off.
12. A, devil seated, holding a scroll. B, figure of a woman coming out of a pair of gaping jaws, the hinder parts of a man disappearing head foremost into the jaws; there are seven teeth in the upper jaw and three in the lower jaw. C, a man, whose head is broken off, carrying a naked female slung over his shoulders, one leg on either side of his head; her head and body hang down behind; she has a head-dress, a necklace from which is a pendant, and a ribbed jug or scroll in her left hand, her right hand is open, showing the palm; opposite the man, on the right, is a figure evidently meant to personate the Devil; he has wings, and is playing the bagpipes.
13. A and B, a winged beast. C, the same, with head-piece and five bands round its waist, terminating in the wings; there are eight balls or buttons on, and between these bands in front of the figure.
14. A and B, figure of a man, probably dancing; he holds a round thing like a cymbal in the right hand, the other is holding a branch; one knee is on the ground; it has pointed boots; part of the head and left foot below the knee of A is broken off. C, a woman’s head with head-dress, scowling, showing open ugly mouth and four teeth; the body of the dress is low, cut square; some thinner article of dress is beneath, concealing bare skin.
South Side. (West to East.)
1. A, ring, formed by two circles entwined. B is gone. C, rose on a ——?
2. A and B, a head in a cloth or shroud. C, a man seated in cap and gown, holding a band.
3. A and B, a four-legged table, a barrel, end upwards, in centre, showing the bung in the middle; on one side is a jug or flagon, on the other a cup or chalice with a cover. C, two figures, men, kneeling; both heads are gone; a barrel on a bracket-shelf appears to be supported on one knee of each; one knee of each is on the ground.
4. A and B, floriated ornament. C, a woman drawing liquor from a barrel into a jug which she is holding; on the left of the barrel another barrel, on the right a jug on a shelf below; the figure has a mallet attached to a girdle round his waist.
5. A and B, a cock’s head. C, animal with wings, on its haunches.
6. A and B, pretty floriated ornament. C, remains of the trunk of an animal surrounded with the remnants of birds, broken off.
7. A a pack-horse; three of its legs are gone. B, a bag with a rose on centre, from which are suspended two smaller roses; below bag is a cushion, tasselled. C, two pairs of wrestlers wrestling; on left a figure is looking on.
8. A, pot with three feet and two handles, through which is a loose cord, on some burning fagots. B, trunks of two animals slung on a pole. C, a woman seated in a chair, holding hands and feet to fire which is in front of her.
9. A and B, floriated ornament. C, a swan standing.
10. A and B, a sparrow. C, an owl.
11. A and B, a woman’s head with head-dress. C, the same, with additional loose piece of material on top of her head, hanging over her shoulders.
12. A and B, floriated ornament. C, a man with a pack on his back, strapped on over his shoulders; he is pulling up his right boot with his hands; the boots are pointed.
13. A,B and C, floriated ornament.
14. A, a figure with pointed shoes, seated on a four-legged stool; both arms are gone. B, a wrist and hand from a cloud, on which, under the wrist, is a hammer, holding a pestle and mortar; beneath the hammer is a thigh bone, a skull, a skull, and a thigh bone; beneath these is a perpendicular altar tomb, with a spade and shovel crossed; the shovel is standing on the ground in front of the tomb, and has a T handle, the spade having a circular one. C, a figure with a row of beads on top of coat from shoulder to shoulder, and wears a belt; on the left is a barrel on a shelf; under this is a pair of pattens hung on wall, and below these a pair of bellows, also hung on the wall; a hammer lies by his right foot on the left; all on the left-hand side are gone.
R. C. Hope, F.S.A.